Medvedev Breaks Down Fognini's Challenge In Shanghai

Daniil Medvedev improved to 12-0 in quarter-finals this year at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Friday. The third-seeded Russian played with great consistency, but experienced second-set resistance from Nitto ATP Finals contender Fabio Fognini, the No. 10 seed from Italy, before coming through 6-3, 7-6(4) in 86 minutes.

Medvedev, who is now two wins from reaching his sixth straight final, has posted a 27-3 match record since July. He has an ATP Tour-leading 57 match wins in 2019. On Friday, the 23-year-old Muscovite will face World No. 1 and four-time champion Novak Djokovic or sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.

Djokovic leads Medvedev 3-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, with three meetings in 2019. Medvedev has won their past two matches at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. The Russian is 4-0 lifetime against Tsitsipas.

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Pressure began to increase on Fognini, when he hit his second double fault to be broken to love and hand Medvedev a 4-2 lead, during a run of nine straight points for the Russian. Medvedev served superbly in the 23-minute opener.

Medvedev weight of shot from the baseline kept Fognini on the move, but the Italian saved three break points — at 1-2, 2-3, and 4-5 — in the second set. After Fognini took a 3-2 lead, his left thigh was taped up at the changeover and he started to compete better, showing greater willingness to move up the court.

Fognini took a 2/0 lead in the tie-break, but Medvedev recovered and with a 4/3 advantage forced a forehand error. At 5/4, Medvedev serve-volleyed off a second serve. The tactic proved to be decisive. Fourteen of Medvedev's 23 winners came off his serve. 

Fognini is currently in 11th position in the 2019 ATP Race To London (on 2,235 points) and attempting to qualify for the season finale, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November, for the first time.

The 32-year-old, who has a 28-20 match record on the season that includes his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, is 200 points behind eighth-placed German Alexander Zverev (2,435). Two singles berths are left up for grabs.

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